Like father, like son (and daughter) for Father's Day

When you work with your dad, Father’s Day is less of an annual event and more of an average day on the job. “It’s a very comfortable thing, and I think it’s an honor ... to work with your family,” said Dr. Rebecca Paglia, who practices dentistry with her father, Dr. Robert Paglia, in Marlborough, just as her dad did with his father, Dr. Francis Paglia.

When you work with your dad, Father’s Day is less of an annual event and more of an average day on the job.

“It’s a very comfortable thing, and I think it’s an honor ... to work with your family,” said Dr. Rebecca Paglia, who practices dentistry with her father, Dr. Robert Paglia, in Marlborough, just as her dad did with his father, Dr. Francis Paglia.

Some career dynasties seem destined from the get-go.

With “a father who had muscle car fever,’’ and his business, Whitehall Auto Sales, right next to the family’s Hopkinton home, Tom White and his two younger brothers were working on cars long before they could drive.

Sean Holland also knew at an early age he wanted to follow his father’s career path into law, although he spent seven years with the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office before “switching hats’’ and joining his father, George Holland, at Milford’s Holland Sullivan Bertonazzi Holland law firm.

Others, including Rebecca Paglia, had other ideas initially. Paglia started at Providence College with plans to major in English and become a writer.

And “there wasn’t a shingle out on the house that said, ‘Teacher,’ ’’ said Tom Bannon, although daughter Erin Bannon is a teacher at Ashland’s Mindess School, just like her father was for 36 years.

Like Bannon, Framingham Police Sgt. Donald Spaulding said he didn’t push his son to follow in his footsteps.

For Framingham Patrolman Donald Spaulding Jr., it was a matter of wanting “to do something you’re proud of,’’ and, after serving in the Army Reserve, he realized police work was the right fit.

The elder Spaulding, who started with Framingham Police in 1973, took a few years off from the force to follow in the footsteps of his late father, Newton Assistant Fire Chief Leslie Spaulding, serving as a Newton firefighter from 1977-80 before returning to Framingham police duty.

As for his son, “he’s very adept’’ at police work, said Spaulding.

“It’s taken him awhile to say that,’’ Spaulding Jr. replied.

The younger Spaulding said he takes some ribbing from colleagues, some of whom remember his visits to the station as a young boy.

“Of course you get kidded. I’ve been in the Army, so I’m used to being kidded.’’

So why Framingham and not another department? This is home. “I went to Marian High down the street.’’

While he didn’t know his son would become a police officer, “I never had any doubts he’d get to where he wanted to be’’ in life, said Spaulding.

“I had some big boots to fill,’’ said his son.

Tom White and brothers Chris and Larry have some big shoes to fill in their line of work as well.

Page 2 of 3 - Father Thomas White has won several Antique Automobile Club of America Grand Master titles, and his restoration work attracts clients nationwide.

“My father had a reputation ... You want to do good work’’ to protect it, said Tom White.

While Tom and Larry are both at the family’s Whitehall Auto in Hopkinton, Chris branched out to launch Concours Concepts in Upton under the Whitehall umbrella.

Each brother likes all varieties of cars, said Tom White, but each has a particular fondness for different lines.

Chris is partial to Chevelles. “Larry, he’s more of a hot-rodder. He likes El Caminos.’’ And “I do own a couple of Camaros.’’

When the boys were little, the senior White worked as an electrical engineer at Raytheon. “In those days, he’d go to a salvage yard, buy a car and fix it up. That’s how he’d make a little money on the side,’’ said Tom.

“When he popped in the drive one day with a 1956 Thunderbird, that was our first family restoration.’’

“They were too young to be in the business, but I gave us a window of two weeks to get it’’ fully restored, said the elder White. “They got to do some of the sandblasting.’’

Chris and Larry went to Keefe Tech in Framingham to study mechanics.

As for Tom, a Hopkinton High alum, “I’m self-taught. My father taught me everything I know.’’

“When the business was doing well, I’d give him an old car and let him do his thing,’’ said the elder White. “He had more patience than most. Doing antique restoration, you have to have patience.’’

You can learn a lot about a profession watching your father work, said Dr. Robert Paglia, who started at his father’s office working as a lab tech and dental assistant.

“I learned how to talk to patients. He taught me a lot of the approaches to communicate with patients,” which can sometimes be difficult for medical professionals when they’re first starting out.

“I guess it was kind of expected” he’d follow in the footsteps of his father, who opened his office above Woolworth’s in downtown Marlborough in 1940. “Rebecca was more of a surprise. ... Obviously I didn’t complain too much” about the job when she was growing up.

In addition to working at the family practice, Rebecca Paglia has provided dental care to families in Vietnam, Nepal and other countries as part of her work with humanitarian organizations

“No money in the world is going to make you happy if you don’t enjoy your job,” said her dad.

And on the rare day when things aren’t making you happy, it’s nice to have an ally.

Page 3 of 3 - “He understands what makes a day difficult in the life of a dentist,” said the younger Dr. Paglia. “I can vent to him.’’

Erin Bannon said having a father who understood her job was a perk for her, too.

“Knowing my father would understand my first-year dilemmas was nice’’ when she arrived in 2000.

“When Erin was growing up, I never gave it a lot of thought what she was going to do’’ for a career, said her father, who retired in 2008. “For me, it wasn’t this grand design.

“I’ve always been interested in Erin as my daughter, Erin the person, not my colleague, Erin the teacher.’’

As for choosing to work at the same school as her dad, “I applied to many (school systems), from Boston to Worcester,’’ but “there was no thought not to come to Ashland’’ when the offer of a job was made.

While “we’re very different,’’ said Erin — “Dramatically,’’ said her father — they share a similar passion for teaching.

“Both of us would say, ‘I’m going to school,’ not ‘I’m going to work,’ ’’ Erin Bannon said.

For the Hollands, working together has worked out well, but “when I first came here, I was afraid there might be a conflict,’’ said Sean Holland. “I was afraid I couldn’t work with my father.’’ In fact, “it has created a much stronger relationship,” he said.

“The one thing I had to make myself do is not be his father and be a business partner, so to speak,” said George Holland.

They enjoy being able to brainstorm on a case. “As a general rule, he’s usually right,” Sean said of the elder attorney.

Patrick Holland is also following in his father’s footsteps, serving on the Milford School Committee, which George did in the 1970s. Patrick, the current board chairman, is also attending law school at night, said his dad.

And while not every father and child make ideal co-workers, or feel drawn to similar careers, “I guess all moms and dads want to be role models for their kids,’’ Tom Bannon said.

(Julia Spitz can be reached at 508-626-3968 or jspitz@wickedlocal.com.)